“I went and watched them on Saturday and they won the game comfortably and looked a good side,” Adams told the Eastern Daily Press.

“I think it’s probably too early to say that anybody is (a promotion rival). We include ourselves in that because nobody has really got away at the minute.

“Teams have had different runs of form. We started really well. Other teams have now put little runs together and that’s why it’s so tight and compact at the top of the table.

“I don’t think there’s any clear favourites at the minute. There’s a good handful or more – maybe even 10 teams – that would fancy their chances and it will be the team that puts a run together and eventually opens up a bit of the gap that will obviously be the favourites.

“It’s a very tight competitive top-end of the division at the minute.”

Gary O'Neil for Boro against Portsmouth in 2010

Norwich will turn to in-form striker Cameron Jerome and livewire Nathan Redmond to cause the damage at the Riverside, while former Boro skipper Gary O’Neil is also set to start alongside Alex Tettey in the midfield.

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